vergangen
past
Refers to something that lies in the past, has happened, or no longer exists; previous.
EXAMPLE
In den vergangenen Wochen hat es kaum geregnet.
In the past few weeks, it has hardly rained.
vergangen
past
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
'Vergangen' (past) is the past participle of the verb 'vergehen', which means 'to pass' (for time). It is used like an adjective to express that something belongs to the past.
EXAMPLE
Die Zeit vergeht so schnell, schon wieder ist ein Jahr vergangen.
Time passes so quickly; another year has already passed.
Typical collocations
The adjective 'vergangen' (past) is almost always combined with nouns that describe a period of time. Typical combinations are 'vergangene Woche' (last week), 'vergangener Monat' (last month), or 'vergangenes Jahr' (last year).
EXAMPLE
Am vergangenen Wochenende war ich im Museum.
Last weekend I was at the museum.
Sentence structure and use
'Vergangen' (past) is mainly used attributively, meaning it stands before a noun and is declined like a normal adjective. Predicative use ('Die Zeit ist vergangen' — time has passed) is usually part of the perfect tense of the verb 'vergehen' (to pass).
EXAMPLE
Die Ereignisse der vergangenen Tage haben alle überrascht.
The events of the past few days surprised everyone.
Compare with
vergangen vs letzt
last
Both words can refer to a period of time that has passed. „Letzt“ often refers to the most recent period and, depending on the context, may also suggest a conclusion, whereas „vergangen“ more generally only says that the period is over. Use „letzt“ for temporal proximity and „vergangen“ for a neutral look back.
vergangen
Im vergangenen Monat haben wir besonders viel gearbeitet.
We worked particularly hard in the past month.
letzt
Im letzten Monat haben wir besonders viel gearbeitet.
We worked particularly hard last month.
In real life
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